


The Orb of Power

by Fabulanon



Series: Young Warrior [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alien Technology, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betrayal, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Hydra (Marvel), Inhumans (Marvel), Love, Superpowers, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 02:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16630823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabulanon/pseuds/Fabulanon
Summary: An 084 is found in the Netherlands, not far from where Nikki used to live. She and the team go there to collect it, and meet a couple of Nikki's old friends. However, not all is how it seems... The orb holds an immense amount of power, and should not fall into the wrong hands. Who can you trust? And how can you make sure that those closest to you, are really who they say they are?





	1. Getting the band back together

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! I just wanted to make sure that you know, that this is part 3 of my "book". If you've missed part 1 or 2: please read those first, especially part 1, since it will introduce some of the original main characters.
> 
> The full story is also posted separately. However, since it's practically 4 different stories, all morphed into 1, I decided that I could also upload it as separate stories, since, even though they might reference the events that happened in different parts, you can read the separate parts apart from each other. All parts kind of have another genre as well, so maybe it's better this way.
> 
> Little side note: I am thinking of writing a fifth part as well, but that's a work in progress.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki goes back home, and meets up with her old friends.

“Nicole, Coulson wanted me to come get you, he wants you on the next mission.”            
Nikki was sitting in her room, and May was standing in the doorway, gesturing for her to come with her. She had been in the team for 8 months now, and she was used to this by now. Nikki followed her to Coulson’s office, where Fitz, Simmons and Coulson and Leah were already waiting for them.           
“Hello Nicole. We have a surprise for you.”   
“A good surprise I hope? Not something like, Luke, I am your father?” She giggled.            
“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that and move on okay?”  
Nikki pulled her face straight and nodded.     
“An 084 has been found on these coordinates. I’ll show you them on the map, let’s see if you recognise them.”    
A map appeared on the screen, and Nikki let out an exited gasp.  
“That’s in Rotterdam! Just a couple of blocks from where I lived!”  
“Exactly, which is why we want you with us. Not only do you speak the language, you know your way around there, I assume?”   
“Like the back of my hand!”              
“Good, then this is what’s going to happen. Fitz and Simmons will go there with you, there’s a Dutch base close by. They will retrieve the object, and figure out what it is, before disposing of it safely. You will act as their guide. Can you do that?”     
“Yes, sir!” She said, completely thrilled.         
Leah spoke up. “With all due respect, what am I doing here? What purpose will I have?”  
Coulson looked at the two of them.  
“I don’t expect it to, but just in case something _does_ happen, you will be able to protect the four of you with your powers. I was going to send agent May along, but I’m afraid I need her elsewhere. Besides, the two of you are such a good team, I have no doubt that Fitz-Simmons will be in good hands.”          
“We trust you.” Simmons said kindly.             
Nikki looked back at the screen and stared at it excitedly.          
“Ommygosh, I’m going home!”

They flew towards the coordinated and located the 084 fairly quickly. It appeared to be some sort of alien orb, but they couldn’t estimate what it did without the equipment in the lab, and preferred not to touch it, as they had some bad experiences with alien viruses. They carefully collected it and brought it to the base for examination. They still had a lot of work to do, but they decided to call it a day, and allow Nikki to show them around the city. She told them about all touristic places, and practically forced them to try the local foods. “You _have_ to try kibbeling, or I will hate you forever.” She said when they stood in a marketplace, next to a place that sold all kinds of fish. She ordered two portions of this national delicacy, one for her, and one for the rest to share, and try out. It was some sort of fried fish, and Nikki seemed to love it.

After a while, everyone was feeling slightly nauseous by all the Dutch treats that Nikki kept forcing them to eat. They decided to go for a little walk around the city, exploring it a bit further. After a while, they could hear music in a nearby street. They went in to check, and saw a band playing in a square, with a small group of people surrounding it. They went in to look, since it sounded pretty good. Nikki remained silent, watching with her arms folded, and one eyebrow raised, standing in the back of the group.

And then, suddenly the band put away their instruments, and huddled together, discussing something, and looking out into the crowd every once in a while. They started a new song, but not with the instruments. They had a complicated routine of clapping and stomping, and it sounded great, as they were all in perfect rhythm with each other. One of the members walked forward into the crowd, dispersing it, and stopped right in front of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. Suddenly from behind them, they could hear the same clapping, and they turned around to see Nikki smiling, and joining in with the routine, matching the other guys perfectly. The one that had stepped forward held out his hand, and Nikki took it, following him to the middle of the stage, where the rest was also smiling. And the two of them started to sing a duet, raising everyone’s spirits. The guy started.

_“When you wake up, and realise_  
_The sun is up, you’ll have to rise_  
_But you cannot find the strength to face the day…”_  
_Your mind will slowly drive you mad_  
_With all the problems you’ve ever had_  
_And you just can’t take it anymore…”_

_“But then at night, you’re in your room_  
_And you’re trying to fall asleep_  
_And you’re falling through the dark parts of your mind_  
_Tell me there’s one promise, that you’ll keep!”_

Nikki joined in as they sung the chorus together

_“Get up in the morning and_  
_Face the day!_  
_Because I will come all this way_  
_To make you feel better_  
_And make it okay_  
_Face the day!”_

Nikki took over, and sung the next part alone, her voice perfectly complementing that of her partner.

_“You get out of bed and grab your things_  
_But your strength is slowly fading_  
_And you feel like you can’t get back up again_  
_Your mind drifts off to dark again_  
_And you don’t know where you stand”_

_“But then you look up, and see the sun_  
_The beautiful outside world, and all_  
_The good things that you’ve ever done!”_

For the next chorus, the entire group joined in.

_“Get up in the morning and_  
_Face the day!_  
_Remember all the_  
_PMA!_  
_Because life’s worth living!”_

Everyone stopped singing and clapping, as they moved to the side of the stage, and left Nikki alone in the middle, as she sung the next part in silence.

_“And then I see you standing there_  
_All alone along the seaside_  
_A tear slowly rolling down your face_  
_But then I take your hand and say_  
_‘There has to be another way’_  
_Please don’t give up on me…”_

Everyone joined in again, and they sung the last part with as much power as they could, to try and send out the positive message. They succeeded, as they saw a couple of people in the front having to wipe away a tear. Some of the people in the crowd chanted along.

_“Get up in the morning and_  
_Face the day!_  
_Because I will come all this way_  
_To make you feel better_  
_Face the day!_  
_And don’t forget the_  
_PMA!_  
_Because life’s worth living…”_

After the song was finished, the guy who had stepped forward put his arm around Nikki, and pulled her in for a big kiss, which she greedily returned, before she accepted the large group hug that the rest of the group pulled them into. One of the guys spoke. “Dames en heren, terug van weggeweest, verwelkom Nicole!” The only other girl picked up a guitar and handed it to her, and Nikki immediately started playing. They played a couple of songs, Nikki being the guitarist, and her and her boyfriend being the lead singers. No one could deny that they were very good, as their intricate routines also involved dancing and other forms of music making, like clapping or whistling. They did everything within their power to make this a real show, which was very entertaining to watch. And it looked like they had the best fun.

After a couple of songs, they announced their last song, and the crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only the bewildered S.H.I.E.L.D. team behind. Nikki walked up to them, laughing happily. “Sorry for ditching you guys back there, but god, did I miss this.” Her friends joined her. “Guys, this is Liam.” She introduced her boyfriend. “Connor, a.k.a. the android sent by cyberlife.” She gestured at the drummer. “Cameron.” She gestured at the pianist. “And Samantha.” She pointed at the only other girl, with her dashing green hair. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, we were in a band together.” She giggled.              
“Wow, you guys are really good!” Simmons exclaimed, excited.  
“Thank you!” Connor said. “We practice a lot, but it’s all for fun. And we have a blast every time.”  
“Well, it’s a lot better now you’re back, Nick.” Liam said, and he pulled Nikki closer again, kissing her forehead.               
“You always wrote the best songs. We kind of lost our sound after you left.” Samantha said sadly.  
“Yeah, what happened? You were in a rough patch, but we expected you to be gone for a month or so. But after you left you just disappeared.” Cameron exclaimed.  
Nikki looked at the team, hesitant.  
“Let’s just say that I… emigrated. Some bad things happened, I had to get out. I’ll be staying somewhere close for a while, but I’m afraid that I’ll be heading back soon…”             
“No! I’m not leaving you! Not again!” Liam exclaimed, shocked.  
“You can’t do this Nick! We’ve only just got you back, and you’re leaving already?” Cameron asked.                
Nikki didn’t respond, but instead looked back at the team, torn.  
“I’m so sorry… But I can’t explain. Trust me, I wish I could.”       
Fitz spoke up. “Nick, you don’t have to say goodbye just yet. If you want us to go and give you some privacy, we’re perfectly fine with that.”         
“Well I’m not!” Leah suddenly spoke up and moved in between Nikki and Liam. “Exactly what are you planning to do with my best friend?” She said protectively. Nikki laughed.           
“Come on, Leah. He’s just a guy, he’s not going to hurt me!”    
“You better treat her right then… Or you’ll answer to me.” She said to Liam.        
“Calm down, Nikki, it looks like things are _heating up_ in here!” Cameron said jokingly. Everyone fell silent, and Nikki stared at him for a while, annoyed.               
“Thanks, Cameo, for the assist. I’m gonna high-five you later, before I punch you in the face! And then I’m gonna punch you in the face some more, just ‘cuz I don’t like you!” She stepped forwards. “And then I gonna hug you.” She pulled him into a hug, before bursting into laughter.            
“But Cameo, please stop the fire-puns! OMG, I’m _dying_.”  
“Don’t say that, you’ll live until you’re at least 27.”      
Nikki looked at him confused before the realisation hit. “Oh, right… that was a thing, wasn’t it?”    
Leah looked at her. “Wait, what? How d’you mean you’re gonna die at 27?”        
“It has been prophesized. I was talking with Cameron’s brother once, about my death or something…? Don’t remember how, don’t remember why, but we were. And then suddenly, he just blurted out: 27! And I asked him: Why did you say 27? But he didn’t know. So, that’s how we came to the conclusion that I’m going to die at 27.” She didn’t seem to upset, and just laughed it off.              
“You guys are insane…”      
“That’s rich, coming from you!”       
She turned back to Liam. “Anyway, don’t mind Leah, she’s just a bit protective.” And she turned back towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. “But no, you guys don’t have to leave! I want my new friends to meet my old friends!”        

And that’s what they did. The love between Nikki and Liam was clear, as they couldn’t keep their eyes of each other. After a while, it got late, and everyone went home, but Liam refused to leave, and just held her hand, as they stood alone in the square under the light of the lamppost, with the rest of the team far off to the side, giving them some space.        
“I’ve missed you…” He whispered quietly to her.         
Nikki didn’t answer, but instead just took his face in her hands, and kissed him softly. Liam pulled her into an embrace.          
“Will I see you tomorrow?” He asked.            
Nikki looked back at the team.          
“I’d like that. But there’s some… things I need to do first. I’ll call you, okay?”        
“I’ll hold you to that.” And Liam stole one last kiss from her, before he left into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who were wondering: Yes, I wrote this song myself too. Please tell me what you think!


	2. Young love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens in the base in the meantime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot happens this chapter. This is mostly to show the passage of time, and add in some cute little scenes of what happens in the base in between the team-members.
> 
> Oh, and, Fitz-Simmons kiss. I just really felt like adding that in, so for all Fitz-Simmons fans, enjoy!

And that was how it was going to go from that day. Every day, after ‘work’, Nikki would go out and meet her friends in the square. Naturally, she spent most time with Liam, but other times, she just continued to make music with the entire group. She had the best of fun, and it looked like she was really happy.                
“I don’t like him.” Leah said one day.              
Nikki looked up in surprise.               
“Who? Liam? Why?”           
“He’d better treat you properly! He keeps sucking up all your attention, demands all of your time… And you’re just acting… different… I get that you want to have some time together, but don’t make him push you into doing things you don’t want, okay?”              
“Woah, jeez, Leah!” Nikki said laughingly. “Calm down! He’s not pushing me over borders! What kind of things are you talking about anyway? Doing drugs?”  
“Woah, stop! No one here is doing drugs. What?” Fitz had just entered the room.             
Nikki looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “We were talking about how we were _not_ going to do drugs. Besides, pot is legal here anyway.” She added triumphantly.    
“Not for underaged I presume.” Leah mumbled.          
Nikki looked at Leah, before she exclaimed. “How the hell do our conversations always end with these sorts of subjects?”              
“Because we’re insane.”     
Nikki looked at her angrily for a moment, before her expression softened, and she laughed.            
“That’s fair. But don’t worry, there’s nothing on the hand.”      
Fitz and Leah shot her a confused look, which she returned. But then her expression changed, and she rolled her eyes.     
“Oh! God! Sorry!” She burst into laughter. “No, that’s Nenglish. Nederlands-English. Probably because I’ve been speaking Dutch so much lately, sometimes it gets mixed up.”  
“What the hell is Nenglish?”             
“When you mix up English and Dutch, we call that Nenglish. Like, When I start pronouncing English words like they’re Dutch words -which is annoying as fuck, by the way -… Or use Dutch proverbs in English, like I just did… Or throw Dutch words into an English sentence… Or if I literally translate words that ought not to be translated, like ‘shieldtoad’, or ‘toiletglasses’ or, my personal favourite, ‘turning bitches’.” She laughed.  
“Do I even want to know what the last one means?”   
Nikki pulled up her shoulders. “French toast.”              
Leah put her hands in the air.           
“You Dutch people are insane…”      
But then she intensely looked Nikki in the eye again.   
“But now you’re distracting me! And I still don’t like your boyfriend. Just ditch him. All you need is me, right?” she said, laughing   
“Woah! Hold on, you, now. Not so fast. You do you, I’ll do me, and we won’t do each other!... Probably.” Nikki added with a wink.  
“And that’s why I love you, babe!” Leah pulled her into a hug.  
Fitz was still standing on the other side of the room, flustered, and confused as to what just happened. “I don’t understand you girls...”  
Nikki looked up at him, surprised. “Women aren’t that difficult, right? I mean, yes means yes… and no means yes! And no means no, and no means perhaps, but perhaps means yes, and perhaps means no. Makes perfect sense, right?”            
Fitz put his hands in the air, and left the room, as he left Nikki and Leah behind, rolling on the floor of laughter.                
“I give up!”            
As he left, Fitz could just hear Leah say through her laughter:  
“Men are just like fish: getting into trouble whenever they open their mouths.”

Frustrated, Fitz walked back to the lab, where he found Simmons already working on the 084.       
“Hey. What are you doing here? I thought we were working on this together?”   
“Yeah, it’s just… I suddenly realised something, and wanted to confirm my suspicions.”    
He felt his heart skip a beat. She looked different. Something was wrong. She didn’t even look him in the eye, and instead just focussed all her attention on the strange object, barely giving him any acknowledgement. Moreover, she had found something, but instead of telling him first, and asking for help, she’d turned her attention to the 084 all alone. Why wouldn’t she let him help her? Was she angry or annoyed with him?         
“Well…” He asked carefully after a long silence. “What did you find?”  
She slammed her notes back down on the table forcefully, and Fitz instinctively took a step back. Maybe he should just leave. If he’d done something to upset her, she’d tell him eventually, right?              
“No… It’s nothing… My hypothesis didn’t work out. I need more time.”  
She turned to look at him, but she wasn’t angry, or frustrated. There was something else in her eyes, something he’d never seen before, and he couldn’t quite make out what it meant. However, her stare made him feel very uncomfortable, so he turned his head down to look at the ground, and saw that his knees where shaking. He mentally cursed himself. He had wanted to tell her how he felt for quite a while now, but it didn’t seem like this was the right time. Not when she was so clearly upset with him.   
“I’m sorry…” He said suddenly, to break the tense silence between them. “I’ll just leave you to your work in silence. If you need me, I’ll just be in my room-”      
But before he had finished his sentence, she’d stepped forwards, and moved her hand to his face. He was slightly alarmed at first, believing that she’d slap him, and he closed his eyes, bracing for the impact. However, he was met by the sensation of her hand softly wrapping around the back of his neck, pulling him closer, before her warm lips met his own. His heart fluttered. She was kissing him. Jemma Simmons, the girl whom he had had a crush on since the Academy, was kissing him! But he just couldn’t wrap his head around that this was really happening. Half of him wanted to pull away, refusing to believe that she returned his feelings, while the other half wanted to pull her closer and kiss her back. He was torn in the internal struggle, so he just stood there, frozen in shock. Simmons seemed to notice, because suddenly, and way too soon for Fitz’s liking, she pulled away, and took a step back. He could just see a couple of tears leave her eyes before she turned around, and buried her face in her hands.

“Oh my god… Fitz… I’m so sorry….” She whispered through her tears.  
She had wanted to kiss him for a while now. She’d been in love with Fitz for years, but never had the courage to do anything. But now she saw Nikki with Liam, and she just couldn’t resist anymore. Her heart dropped. She’d made a huge mistake. He had barely even moved when she kissed him, and for the first moment, she had even felt him pull away. They had been best friends for as long as she could remember, and now she’d ruined all of it in a wave of passion. She took a moment to get her breath under control, and wiped away her tears, before turning back around to face him.

Meanwhile, Fitz was still standing there, frozen, watching the girl that had just kissed him cry out quietly. His fingers had unconsciously moved over to his lips, already missing the warmth of hers’. He tried to say something, comfort her, and tell her that it was okay. Tell her that he loved her too! But all he managed to produce where incoherent sounds. His brain had completely stopped working.  
“I’m sorry, Fitz. I don’t know why I did that. I’m so, so sorry.”   
She mentally cursed herself. Of course she knew why she did it. That was not the problem here.    
And at the same time, Fitz could also feel his hoped fade away. So she didn’t love him? She didn’t even know why she kissed him? But he still couldn’t  say anything.   
Simmons lowered her head, as she could feel more tears coming up. She had to leave, this was just too much.     
“Please excuse me…” She said quietly, as she moved to walk past him, towards the door.                
But he suddenly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from walking any further away from him. If he couldn’t tell her with words, he had to tell her another way. This might be his only chance.             
In one smooth motion, he wrapped his other arm around her, and pulled her closer, before he pressed his lips into hers. After a couple of moments, he could feel her body relax, and her arms wrapped around him as well. The entire world vanished, and nothing seemed to matter anymore. All they needed, all they had _ever_ needed, was each other.

In the meantime, and to Leah’s greatest frustration, Nikki kept hanging out with Liam. It was clear that she was head over heels in love, and no one could break them apart. Most of the time, they would just make music together, sing together, or dance together, but other times, he would take her home, and she wouldn’t come back until next morning…

And everyone noticed that she looked different. Whereas she normally never wore make-up, or payed that much attention to her looks, every time she went out the door now, she looked amazing, having put a lot of time and effort into looking good. Her shorts became shorter and shorter every day, and her shirts tighter. Her bright, red lipstick matched her red fingernails, and her eyeliner left a dark line around her eyes. Suddenly, she didn’t look quite so young anymore…

But apart from that, the team had also rarely seen her so happy. The only times she’d be like this, was after she’d been to visit her sister, and when she and Leah had caused some mischief. She was practically glowing.

“What do you love about him so much?” Simmons asked one time, genuinely interested. “He seems like a nice guy.”           
“He’s just very sweet. He was the first person I ever really opened up to, after… my home situation…” She swallowed. “But he was there for me. We met one day on the train. I don’t even remember where I was going…” I was just sitting in a nearly empty train, looking out the window, singing a little. I had been writing songs for a while, and already had a cheap guitar that I had bought myself. And… he suddenly sat down next to me. I was shy, and to be honest, slightly startled at first, so I asked him why he sat down next to me. He pointed to the empty train and pretended all other seats to be full.” She laughed, and gave a warm smile, as she remembered. “He said that I had a lovely voice, and he thought I was beautiful. I was completely startled, but it looked like he genuinely meant it. So… he asked me where I was going, and then he asked if he could join me there. In the end, we didn’t even do that, and he took me out for lunch instead. That was when he told me that he was in a band, and they were still looking for a female singer. So, he introduced me to them, and I’ve been in that group ever since.               
“That’s so sweet.”               
“Anyway, you know about the mask I’ve been wearing, about all my life, always putting on a brave face. Most people just accept it, but he didn’t. He saw right through me. At first… I thought that was going to scare him away, but then he sort of made it his mission to make me feel better… and we kissed. I trusted him, you know. Everything just felt so… safe. And that’s when I also showed him my powers. But he still never stopped loving me.”    
“It’s nice to have someone like that…”           
Nikki looked at her mischievously.   
“What? You mean Leopold?” She winked.     
“Oh, come on, Nikki! How many times do I have to tell you that that’s none of your business!”       
“AH!” Nikki exclaimed happily. “So, you _do_ admit that there’s something going on!”         
“I didn’t say that!”              
“Yeah, but you didn’t _not_ say it.”      
But before Simmons could respond, Nikki had run away, hands in the air, and cheering.


	3. The orb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finally gets a breakthrough on the strange alien object.

Fitz and Simmons spent most of their time working on the 084. Nikki sometimes looked on fascinated, but her intellect didn’t quite match theirs, so she couldn’t help that much. Leah was mostly bored, so she spent most of her time training in the shooting range, as she was still trying to practice that.          
“So, how much do we know at this point?” Nikki asked.            
“Well…” Fitz begun. “It is emitting a lot of power, so I think it might be some sort of weapon. Then again, isn’t every 084 at this point?”  
“We also found traces of some sort of alien-DNA on it, but we’re still figuring out what those might be.” Simmons added.  
Nikki looked at the orb, fascinated. She held her hand above it.  
“Woah, I can feel that energy you were talking about, Fitz.”     
He looked around at her. “Better not touch that, Nick.”             
Nikki sighed. “I’m not an idiot! Still… it doesn’t feel dangerous…”  
But then, when Fitz turned around again, Nikki picked it up anyway.  
“Nikki, no!” Simmons exclaimed.     
The orb started to glow, and they could see the energy transferring itself into Nikki. But Nikki didn’t seem all that disturbed.                
“Woah, this is really weird, guys.”    
“Nikki, put that down. You’re going to get yourself killed!”       
“No… I don’t… I don’t think it’s hurting me.” She said carefully. “It actually feels like it’s empowering me…”                
She looked at the orb in her hand, fascinated.              
Fitz shot a worried look at Simmons.              
“Well, that doesn’t sound good…”   
Simmons tried to get through to her one last time.     
“Nikki, we don’t know what that thing does. Put it down, right now!”  
“Fine.” And she put it back on the table.        
The orb stopped glowing, and Nikki turned back to normal. Fitz and Simmons both gave a sigh of relief, before Simmons walked up to Nikki, clearly very annoyed.       
“Nicole, we really need to work on your impulsivity.” Simmons said, as she was quickly trying to see if she was hurt.               
“Wow, you used my full name, you must be really serious.”      
She rolled her eyes, pushed Simmons away, and put her hands on the table, leaning down on it. To everyone’s great surprise, it dented. Nikki quickly pulled back her hands, and looked at them, before she brought them back to the metal table, and carefully, and with ease, brought it back it its original shape.                
“Ooooh. So t _hat’s_ what that does.” She said fascinated.            
“Super strength?” Fitz asked, as he looked from Nikki, to Simmons, to the data on the screens. Nikki in the meantime walked around the room, testing the extent of her new abilities.  
“This is really cool!” She exclaimed, as she was bending metal objects, and picking up very heavy things with ease.              
“Nikki, just calm down for a second, please, we don’t know what the consequences are!”                
But right as she said that, Nikki felt her strength fading, as she left another dent in the table that the couldn’t form back. She looked at her hands again.     
“I think it stopped.” She said, slightly disappointed. “I suppose it works just as long as you’ve held the orb for…”      
“Well, good!” Simmons said, still annoyed, as she moved back to her. “Now come with me, I just want to check you over to see if that thing didn’t leave a mark on you. What were you thinking?”  
“Aren’t you ever going to get tired of asking me that?” Nikki giggled.

After a quick run-through, it turned out that Nikki was mostly fine. But Simmons still wasn’t happy with her.         
“Don’t ever do that again.”               
“Why not? It worked, didn’t it? You’ve been trying to find out what that thing does for a week now, and now we know. Sometimes you just have to take a risk! Step outside your comfort-zone and live a little! Besides, I won’t die until 27, so what’s the harm?”      
“No, Nikki. I’ve got the feeling that, just because you’re inhuman, you think that you’re better than us. But you’re not invincible! And don’t use that little joke of your friend in situations like this! Something could happen to you, just as easily as something can happen to me or Fitz. You’re inhuman, not a god, and definitely, not immortal. We talked about this, you can’t keep putting your life on the line like that!”                
“Never tell me wat I can-”  
“Or cannot do. Yes, I know. You keep saying that.”      
She fell silent.       
“Nikki, just because your parents never believed in you, does not mean you have to keep proving to us how strong, smart and brave you are… We’d much rather you’d be safe. We care about you, and we’d hate to lose you. You deserve to be on this team, but for your skills and your heart, not as a disposable Guinea pig to sacrifice every time.”  
Nikki looked up. Her expression had changed, and she looked at Simmons with a sad look in her eyes.                
“I’m sorry, Jemma.” She said softly. “I promise I’ll be more careful.”  
She pulled her into a hug.   
“Thank you.”         



	4. The mole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The orb gets stolen by the last person they'd ever expected.

Until that point, the job had been fairly easy. Of course, it couldn’t stay like that for long, and one day, it all collapsed.         
“Guys… where is the orb?” Fitz asked, confused, as they entered the lab that day. The place was trashed, the equipment destroyed, and the orb was gone.        
“Wait, how did this happen? What about security?” Nikki exclaimed.  
Fitz walked over to the computer, trying to find the camera-footage. It showed a hooded person, trashing the place with a bat, before taking the orb and leaving.             
“Well, there were guards everywhere. They might have been able to get into the base, but I can’t see anyone leaving, so the only thing I can think of is that they’re still here…”             
“How is this possible?” Simmons asked. “We were the only people who knew where the orb was hidden right?”    
Nikki put her hand in her hair.           
“Well, I mean… I told Liam… but he was just really worried where I was all the time, and he’s my boyfriend, so of course I told him…”  
“You did what?”   
“He promised me that he wasn’t going to tell anyone! Are you seriously suspecting my boyfriend right now? I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation!”  
They heard a gun clicking behind them.         
“Indeed, there is.”               
Liam was standing in the doorway, gun raised, orb in his hand.  
“Liam?” Nikki asked carefully, as she took as step closer. “What are you doing? What’s going on? Did you follow me here?”  
“Hydra was also after the orb, but unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. had already taken it before we got there. I wonder what kind of glory they’ll bestow on me when I give them the orb and give them the location of this base…”           
Nikki swallowed.  
“What are you talking about? Are you Hydra?”            
Nikki’s eyes were filled with disbelief.             
“Clever girl. Though unfortunately, not clever enough to foresee this.”  
“But… Liam… You know what those people did to me when they found me. They captured and tortured me, why are you helping them?”     
Liam laughed.       
“You really don’t know do you? _I_ was the one that told Hydra about your powers!”           
Tears sprung into her eyes.               
“No… I don’t believe it… you’re being controlled! They must have brainwashed you some way!”    
“Oh, I am. See, when I met you, you were so sweet and kind. I really did care for you. But then I met _her_. She showed me into Hydra and told me about all the wonderful things we could do together. Nicole… I’m in love!”  
He stepped closer and put the gun to her head.           
“Just not with you.”            
Nikki just stood there, frozen, heartbroken, until Leah stepped forward.               
“Get away from her, you asshole!”  
She used her powers to blind him, she pulled Nikki and the rest of the team with her. Nikki didn’t cooperate, nor did she resist. She had lost all her will, hope and strength. When they were safe, Leah looked at Nikki, worried.    
“Nick, are you okay?”         
She tried to reach out for her, but she took a step back from them.  
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know…” She brought her hands to her face, and slid down the wall, shocked, horrified.               
“Nikki, you couldn’t have known…”  
“Yeah, but I _should_ have! I... I told him everything! And I mean absolutely _everything_! About the orb, about my powers, about your powers, about the base… This is all my fault…!  
In the distance they could hear footsteps and a voice.                
“Get back here, you witch!”              
Leah, Fitz, and Simmons looked at each other. Leah tried to pull Nikki back to her feet, but she resisted.                
“Come on, Nick! We have to go!”     
“No… just leave me… I can’t…” She was in complete shock. Leah took one last look at her.               
“We’ll come back for you, I promise!”            
She ran down the hallway, in the direction where Liam was coming from. She managed to lure him away into the other direction.  
“What is she doing? She’s going to get herself killed!” Fitz exclaimed.  
“No, she’s providing a distraction. We have to contact Coulson and call for backup. It’s the only way.”                
They took one last look at Nikki, but they knew that there was nothing they could do. They left.   

In the meanwhile, Leah had caught up with Liam. She was planning to blind him, and take him out, but he had already taken precautions.  
“How d’you like my new glasses?” He asked.                
He was wearing some kind of sunglasses, which shielded his eyes from even the brightest light.     
“Nikki told me everything about you, and your powers. So, Hydra made a little gift for me.”            
Leah tried to blind him, but it didn’t work. She wanted to escape, but Liam suddenly darted forward, and grabbed her by the neck, chocking her. The power of the orb made him incredibly strong, as he lifted her of the ground with easy.     
“I’ll give you a choice… Come with me, and fight for Hydra, or die.”  
“Never…” She just managed to say.  
Liam threw her across the room, slamming her into the wall, before she fell to the ground, gasping.                
“Is that the best you can do? I never liked you. I guess now I know why. No one hurts Nikki, but me!”                 
She tried to use her powers to make herself invisible, and escape Liam, but she was too weak, and just kept flickering. Liam walked towards her and pointed his gun at her.      
“Leah!”   
Fitz and Simmons had come into the room. They had contacted Coulson but needed to keep Liam in place until backup arrived. However, they had no way to defend themselves. Liam moved over to them. They tried to fight him, but he was too strong from the power that the orb gave him, and soon, they too were lying on the floor, weak. Liam turned around, and pointed his gun at them, ready to make the shot to finish them off.     
“No, you don’t!”  Leah grunted, and with her last strength, she got up, and moved over to him. She managed to loosen his grip on the gun. There was a struggle, the gun flew across the room, and fell down on the other side, out of reach. Liam gave Leah a firm kick, and she fell down again. She was exhausted. She tried to get up again, but she was too weak. It was over. They had lost.


	5. Sacrifice your hear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikki makes a choice that she'll carry with her for the rest of her life, and has to deal with the aftermath.

Leah was on the floor, looking up at Liam. With her last strength, she kept trying to blind him, but it was useless.   
He was still holding the orb and coming in closer to her.  
“Give it up, you’re defenceless against me.”  
He took out a knife and came in for the kill. Leah just closed her eyes, preparing herself for the end.

But then, a gunshot was heard from the other side of the room. Liam froze, dropped the knife, and fell to the ground, as blood slowly spilled onto his clothes. On the other side of the room, Nikki was standing, gun raised, and tears in her eyes. She was trembling, and the gun slipped from her hands, as she brought her hands to her mouth, horrified, and fell to her knees. She crawled over to Liam and knelt beside him.           
“Liam… I’m so sorry…”        
She held his hand, as she bent over his dying body, crying her heart out.               
“Nikki?”  
“I love you… Why do I still love you?” She whispered.  
With his last strength, he brought his hand to her face, cupping it.  
“Because that’s who you are. You’re too kind. That’s why I fell in love with you…”             
He coughed blood.              
“But it’s also why I left you…”           
Nikki gasped, and closed her eyes. She couldn’t look at him. She picked up the knife from the floor, and with one firm thrust, shoved it in his gut. Tears were streaming down her face.   
“Goodbye…” She said.        
Liam gasped for air, but then she slowly closed his eyes, and died. Nikki opened her eyes slightly, her vision blurred with tears. She bent over him, and kissed his dead body one last time, before she rested her forehead on his, and cupping his face with her hands, just sat there, crying.  
The room was silent, and the only noise to be heard, were her silent sobs.

 _3 days later…_  
Nikki was sitting in her room, alone. She was staring blankly into space. After they got back to the home base, she directly retreated, and for the past few days, she’d talked to no one. She didn’t eat, she didn’t sleep, she just sat there. She had stopped crying a while ago, she was just too tired for it now. She was exhausted, but her dreams were haunted by nightmares, every time she closed her eyes.              

A couple of days later, she finally left her room. But she surprised everybody in the way in which she did so.           
“Hey, guys!” She said happily, as she moved into the room.  
“Anything exciting happen, the past few days?”  
But no one responded, as they all looked at her, and then to each other. Leah was the first to get up. She moved over to Nikki and pulled her into a warm hug. Then Simmons, then Daisy, then Fitz. It took a moment, as they stood there in silence, but then Nikki accepted the hug, as tears sprung back into her eyes, and she completely gave in to her grief.

That night, Leah visited her in her room.        
“I know it’s probably a stupid question, but, how are you feeling?”  
Nikki looked up at her and gestured for her to sit down next to her.  
“It hurts… why does it hurt so much?”           
Leah pulled her closer, and Nikki rested her head on her shoulder.  
“Because you loved him. You may doubt about the validity of everything right now, but, that was real. And I’m so sorry for you, Nicole… I really wished for you to be happy…”               
“You don’t have to be sorry… I do. This was all my fault…”        
She gasped for air as she tried to hold back more tears.             
“What are you talking about?”         
“I told him… I told him everything. About my powers… about yours… about S.H.I.E.L.D… about the orb… None of this would’ve happened if it wasn’t for me…”               
“No… No, I suppose it wouldn’t… but that doesn’t make you to blame, Nikki. The only one to blame is him. And not just for what he did to S.H.I.E.L.D., but what he did to _you_.”             
They fell silent, and Leah reached for Nikki’s hand, holding it sweetly. Until Nikki finally spoke again.  
“All my life… everyone who’s ever been close to me has either betrayed me, or left me… My parents broke me down ‘till I was nothing more than their fucking carpet… And then they died. My sister left me… Liam played me, cheated me, and used me, before he forced me to personally end his life…”                
She swallowed hard as her voice was drowned out by her tears.  
“All I ever wanted was to be able to trust someone… who’d be there for me when I needed them… But everyone just ends up either using or abusing me. Why do I keep falling for that?”  
Leah pulled her closer, as Nikki cried out.       
“Are you going to leave me?” she asked.        
Leah looked her in the eye, and firmly said. “Never. Don’t even think it. I will never betray you.”    
Nikki wiped her tears away, and laid down, resting her head on Leah’s lap.           
“Well, at least I learned one thing from all of this… A relationship is like a fart. If you have to force it, it’s probably shit.”      
She gave a hollow little laugh.          
“Thank you… for being here.”           
Leah stroke her hair.           
“Anytime.”            
Nikki sat up, so that Leah could stand up and leave the room.  
“Just hang in there, okay? There’s a lot of people who are worried about you. They really care for you, you know? Don’t give up on them.” She said from the doorway, and then she was gone.

Nikki got up and took out her laptop. Without a plan, she took out her microphone, and started to sing.

_“There’s a silence in the air tonight,_  
_And it just won’t let me go,_  
_Because you left me far behind,_  
_And from now, I’ll be alone…_  
_And the stars, they start to cry,_  
_as the tears fall from my eyes,_  
_Onto the pavement,_  
_Oh,_  
_Onto the pavement._

_Because ever since the day you left,_  
_That hole inside of me,_  
_I’ve been trying to fill it, in the night,_  
_With the moonlight…_

_Can you hear me?_  
_Can you hear me?_  
_As I’m standing in the moonlight,_  
_And I sing this song to you…_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_As the loneliness, creeps in my bones,_  
_And slowly turns my heart to stone,_  
_I miss you…_  
_Oh,_  
_I miss you…_

_Can you please, give me a sign you’re listening…?_

_I remember every fight,_  
_All the times you broke my heart,_  
_Can you recall, all the times we’ve cried,_  
_And when it all fell apart?_  
_But I can’t forget ‘bout all the times,_  
_You held my hand to soothe me,_  
_When I was lost,_  
_Oh,_  
_I was so lost..._

_Can you hear me?_  
_Can you hear me?_  
_As I’m standing in the moonlight,_  
_And I sing this song to you…_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_As the loneliness, creeps in my bones,_  
_And slowly turns my heart to stone,_  
_I miss you._  
_Oh,_  
_I miss you._

_Was she really worth it?_  
_Was she everything what you wanted?_  
_Can you enjoy your rest at night,_  
_When all my dreams are haunted,_  
_By your face,_  
_When you said, you never loved me…_

_Can you hear me?_  
_Can you hear me?_  
_As I’m standing in the moonlight,_  
_And I sing this song to you…_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_Can you feel it?_  
_As the loneliness, creeps in my bones,_  
_And slowly turns my heart to stone,_  
_I miss you._  
_Oh,_  
_I miss you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading part 3 of my story. If you liked it, please continue to part 4. This part will have a lot more action, and interesting reveals. This is the biggest part of the story, and the one that I personally am the most proud of. I would be honoured if you read it, and tell me what you think.


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